Shatoosh, an Albin 25 HN 1124, and Pashmina, a 9 foot Porta Bote have cruised over 8,500nm on 70 navigable waterways in the California Delta, the Columbia, Snake, Willamette Rivers and the Salish Sea of Washington and British Columbia. In 2011 they crossed the Columbia River bar to cruise the Washington coast and in 2012 they replicated Peter Puget's 1792 exploration of the southern waters of Puget Sound. In 2015 and 2016 the boats were sold. In 2018 Shatoosh was sold again and is in AZ.

Wednesday, July 30, 2014

A Quick Getaway Gig Harbor>McMickin>Eagle>Foss Harbor Marina

25 July 2014 Friday

I plan a quick getaway on the notion I will have a nice break in my routine and see some of my favorite destinations. It has been a year since I was in the South Sound or Puget's Sound. I arrive at Gig Harbor at 3 PM and have dinner with friends at Anthony's. I have enough trout for tomorrow's meal along with fresh made lumpia from family on Whidbey island. We are in the minus tides and a big cabin cruiser goes aground at the dock. Woops. I run across Yankee, a Ranger 38 anchored in the harbor. I catch-up with them after meeting them 2 years ago on hope Island and Jarrels Cove.

I make the flooding tide thru the Narrows on Saturday and tie up to one of the new State Buoys on McMickin Island State Park. The old ones are easier to hook my snap shackle to the ring. I have to use my boat hook to grab the ring as it is in the bottom of a bowl. Booo..who designed these?

In my attempt to row around the island, I miss timed the tide, so am left with a small portage across the tombolo.
I see an inside buoy that has opened up, so complete my row back to Shatoosh and move her quickly to get an inside buoy.

Too Tall is in the flatlands of Nebraska and writes a Haiku for my trip. How special, thanks Too Tall.

"Portage Pashmina
Shortest in her history.
Voyage Continues "

Numerous Sand Dollars sparkle like gold in the sun.
Sound like another Haiku

"My favorite place
Sand Dollars sparkle like gold
A Gift From The Sea"

Large sizes, small sizes, live and dead.

I stop at Eagle Island State Park and have an early lunch. Newborn Harbor Seal pups sun next to mothers on the beach.

Time the Narrows perfectly again on the ebbing minus tide and make a respectable 7.9 k.

I return from McMickin to Foss Harbor Marina on Monday at 3 PM, just in time to clean Shatoosh and Pashmina and get home in time for my webinar class.

It was a long way for 60nm but well worth the trip. Getting to be on Shatoosh and row Pashmina at some of my favorite destinations has refreshed me. Hitting the tides and jumping at the possibility made running into numerous old friends and meeting new ones a nice recipe to savor the islands of the southern waters.

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About Me

is a retired LTC US Army PT. She learned how to sail in the South China Sea while stationed in Qui Nhon, Republic of Viet Nam. Later she crewed aboard The Skua II, a Great Dane 28, along various sections of the Intracoastal Waterway between Mississippi and Maryland. She has owned 7 boats and has chartered numerous places as far north as Haida Gwaii and as far south as The Dry Torturgas. Her favorite sailboat was Sabra, a Swan 36, which she sailed from Hawaii to Tacoma in 1982 with her twin sister, Jean and friend, "Uncle Mikey".
Email:hirareid@gmail.com